Rail anchor



April 9, 1929.

A. F. FIFIELD RAIL ANCHOR 7 Filed May 23. 1928 INVENTOR ()W/W ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT F. FIFIELD, OF ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN FORK & HOE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RAIL ANCHOR.

Application filed May 23,

My invention relates to one-piece rail anchors and relates particularly to one-piece rail anchors of a special duplex design.

An object of my invention is to provide a one-piece rail anchor which may be manufactured at low cost and which is of a special duplex design at both of its ends, so as to make it convertible, so that either the top or lower portions may interchangeably, respectively, grip the rail base and afford an abutment for engagement by a fixed part of the railway, such as a tie, to resist longitudinal movement of the rail relative to the railway tie or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a duplex invertible anchor, the upper and lower halves of which are adapted to be interchangeable in relative positions, and formed to grip rail bases of different widths and sizes, so that the same anchor affixed to a new rail base, may be reversed to be replaced thereon when the rail base is of decreased size, due to erosion, to tightly grip the same by its other half.

Another object of my invention is to provide a one-piece anchor adapted for use on rail bases of different sizes.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become apparent from the following description of certain embodiments thereof and in which description reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of a rail anchor embodying the principles of my invention, shown applied to the base of a rail, illustrated in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the embodiment of the anchor of Fig. 1, the rail web being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the said embodiment; 1

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but of a second embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Figs. 1 and 4: but of another embodiment of my invention.

Referring now first to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 8, I show therein a rail anchor of the one-piece type formed from a single substantially T- shaped bar of metal, which when applied to 1928. Serial No. 279,884.

the rail in either of two alternate invertible positions, will maintain a firm grip on the upper and lower surfaces of the base of the rail by spring pressure.

The rail is shown at 1 and comprises a base 2 which rests upon railway ties, one of which is shown at 3. The rail anchor of the first 3 figures of drawing is formed to be precisely alike when in normal unstressed form, both above and below its longitudinal axis, indicated at and on either side of the line m-m comprises a pair of jaws 4t and 5 which are terminals of a U-shaped spring-retaining hook 6, the jaw 4E engaging the upper surface 7 of one of the rail base flanges and the jaw 5 engaging the bottom surface of the rail base flange.

Preferably the rail base flange surfaces engaged by the jaws 4 and 5 are spaced inwardly from the vertical lateral edge 8 of the flange, the surface engaged by the jaw 4., however, being disposed nearer the medial line y y of the rail. The anchor extends by a resilient reach bar 9 to the opposite side of the rail base where it terminates in a pair of oppositely extending vertical retaining flanges 10 and 10?, the flange 10 cooperating with the jaws 4 and 5 of the hook (i and the flange 10 adapted tocooperate with the alternate jaws t and 5 of the hook 6' which depend below the axis line L -w.

hen the anchor is attached to the rail, it is applied by first loosely placing the hook 6 into preliminary position where its jaws embrace the rail flange, and then the anchor is driven transversely of the rail by blows directed against the surface 11 until the hook aw element 6 is so driven on the rail base flange, as to effect downward bowing of the reach bar portion 9 which extends the retaining flange 10 to a point where it snaps over the vertical edge 12 of the opposite rail base flange and takes the position illustrated in Fig. 1.

, In the position of the anchor shown, the parts disposed below the base of the rail and particularly the hook 6 is brought into engagement with the tie 3 and when the rail receives a pressure effort tending to move it in the direction of the arrow placed on the drawing above Fig. 3, the engagement of the parts of the anchor comprising the depending hook 6 will prevent longitudinal movement of the anchor and the anchor will be deflected slightly, causing the jaws to bite tightly the embraced rail flange and prevent creeping of the rail on the tie.

When the anchor is placed on the rail, as

illustrated, the mid portion of the reach bar the material by its inherent resiliency.

In other words, during application to the rail, the upper of the two bowed surfaces 13 or 13", as the case may he, tends to become less bowed, that is, more straight and the bowing of the other is correspondingly increased.

The reach bar 9 having the pair of oppositely concave'd surfaces is a very good form of spring to performthe functions for which a' rail anchor of this type is designed, the

same function being, however, performed by the reach bar 9, of Fig. 5, which is of progressively reduced cross-sectional area proceeding from the jaws toward the retaining flanges. By providing the anchor with a pendant tie abutment 6, 6", or 6 in Figs. 1, f and 5 respectively, and making the reach bar 9 or 9 respectively relatively resilient, a better grip is had by the anchor upon the rail base secured between its relatively rigid hook jaw 6 and its associated retaining flange, which is spring pressed to position by the relatively rigid jaws acting through the relatively resilient intermediate reach bar.

Referring now to the rail anchor illustrated in Fig. 4, this is like that in the foregoing figures, except that the longitudinal spacings indicated by the dimensions a and b and c, for the depending hook 6" are in excess for the same dimensions provided in the case of the upper hook member 6" and at the same time,'preferably, the vertical dimension (Z is somewhat in excess of that provided for the other jaw. This enables the anchor when placed at the alternate inverted position to embrace a somewhat larger rail base, that is, for instance, in the position of the anchor as illustrated, the anchor would accommodate, say, an eighty pound rail, but when inverted and employing the hook 6 to grip the rail base, the anchor may be used for, say, a hundred pound rail.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 5, the reach bar 9 is longitudinally tapered from the rail base engaging jaws 5 and 5? to the retaining flanges 10 and 10*, the reach bar being narrowest at 13 adjacent the retaining flanges than at 14 ad- I jacent the jaws 5 and 5". In this form of anchor particularly, I preferably make the hooks 6 and6" more unylelding, that is more rigid, so as to get a greater wedgmg effect when the pairs of jaws 4-5 or 4"5", are driven onto the rail base flange 2. The reach bar 9 is reduced in cross sectional area and particularly in vertical thickness, and more. particularly towards the portion 13" so that the reach bar 9 will be more and more resilient and capable of slight resilient flexing toward the retaining flanges when the anchor is driven on the rail, because of the upward tilting of the end 13' due to the wedgiug effeet of the jaws 4 and 5", and that positioning whereby the jaw 4 is nearer the rail axis YY than the aw 5.

The hooks 6 and 6 may be both disposed and formed to cooperate with the retaining flanges at the opposite ends so as to accommodate the same size rail as in the anchor of Fig. 1, or to accommodate rail bases of (lifferent sizes as in the anchor of Fig. 4.

Having thus described my invention in two different embodiments, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the embodiments herein illustrated and described but without departing from the spirit of my invention.

'1 claim:

1. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending similar hooks adapted to interchangeably embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders, adapted to abuttingly interchangeably engage the vertical edge surface of the opposite rail base flange.

A duplex rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending similar hooks adapted to interchangeably embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders, adapted to abuttingly interchangeably engage the vartical edge surface of the oppw site rail base flange, a cooperating hook and shoulder on the one side being differently spaced from the hook and shoulder on the other side of the anchor.

3. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending similar hooks adapted to interchangeably embraeingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders. adapted to abuttingly interchangeably engage the vertical edge surfaee of the opposite rail base flange, the two surfaces of the intermediate reach bar port-ion of the anchor interchangeably disposable adjacent the bottom of the rail base being relieved intermediate their ends so as to permit upward flexing of the anchor in such intermediate portion during attachment to the rail.

4:. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending similar hooks adapted to interchangeably embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders, adapted to abu-ttingly interchangeably engage the vertical edge surface of the opposite rail base flange, the hooks being differently spaced from their associated shoulder to accomn'iodate rail bases of different sizes.

5. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending similar hooks adapted to interchangeably einbracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders, ad apted to abuttingly interchangeably engage the vertical edge surface of the opposite rail base flange, the hooks being differently spaced from their associated shoulder to accommodate rail bases of different sizes, said hooks and said shoulders being joined by an intermediate resilient integrally formed reach arm, said reach arm being normally concave on its opposite sides toward the books 6. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending similar hooks adapted to interchangeably embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders, adapted to abuttingly interchangeably en gage the vertical edge surface of the opposite rail base fiangc, the portion of the anchor intermediate the shoulders and hooks being in the form of a resilient reach bar tapered toward the shoulders.

7. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending hooks adapted to interchangeably embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces ot a rail base at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders, adapted to abuttingly interchangeably engage the edge of the opposite side of the rail base.

8. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminatin at one end in a pair of oppositely extending hooks each adapted to interchangeably embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base at one side of the rail, the free end of each hook engaging the rail base surface in a portion thereof disposed more remote from the edge of the rail than the point of engagement with the lower surface of the rail base, said anchor terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely eXtending shoulders, adapted to abuttingly interchangeably engage the edge of the opposite side of the rail base, said hooks and said shoulders being joined by an intermediate resilient integrally formed reach arm, said hooks being of greater rigidity than said reach arm to effect greatest fleXure in the arm.

9. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending hooks each adapted to interchangeably embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base at one side of the rail, the free end of each book engaging the rail base surface in a portion thereof disposed more remote from the edge of the rail than the point of engagement with the lower sur face of the rail base, said anchor terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely eX- tending shoulders, adapted to abuttingly interchangeably engage the edge of the opposite side of the rail base, the hooks being differently spaced from their associated shoulder to accommodate rail bases of different sizes, said hooks being of greater rigidity than said reach arm to effect greatest flexure in the arm.

10. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, one of the di vergent arms of which providing a rail flange embracing hook adapted to interchangeably embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base at one side of the rail, the free end of the hook engaging the rail base surface in a portion thereof disposed more remote from the edge of the rail than the point of engagement with the lower surface of the rail base, said anchor terminating at the other end in a shoulder adapted to abuttingly interchangeably engage the edge of the opposite side of the rail base, said hookand said shoulder being joined by an intermediate resilient integrally formed reach arm, said hook being of greater rigidity than said reach arm to effect greatest flexure in the arm, the other divergent arm adapted for engagement With a rail supporting tie to prevent creepage of the anchor and to eifcct sluing thereof on the rail when said rail tends to be moved longitudinally.

1.1. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending hooks adapted to interchangeably embracingly engage the upper and lower surfaces v of a rail base flange at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders, adapted to interchangeably engage the edge of the opposite rail base flange.

12. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending hooks adapted to interchangeably embraeingly engage the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base flange at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders,

' adapted to interchangeably engage the edge 10 of the opposite rail base flange, the portion of the anchor intermediate the hooks and the shoulders adapted to underlie the rail base and being relieved therefrom in portions disposed Within the rail base lateral edge lower 5, corners.

I 13. A rail anchor of substantially T-shaped form made of resilient steel, and terminating at one end in a pair of oppositely extending hooks adapted to interchangeably embraeingly engage the upper and ower surfaces of a rail base flange at one side of the rail and terminating at the other end in a pair of oppositely extending shoulders, adapted to interchangeably engage the edge of the opposite rail base ange, one of and hooks providing more widely separated jaws than the other hook, to receive a rail base portion of relatively greater thickness.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 19th day of May, 1928.

ALBERT F. FIFIELD. 

